Bag



968 s. A. HENNING 3,397,835

BAG

Filed Sept. 8, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sa -M 0, 1968 s. A. HENNING 3,397,835

BAG

Filed Sept. 8, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

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Su-MJu-A. Q 1'4 Invento BY MM, 46m PM 4ft arm s Filed Sept. 8, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.5

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SpUuk-M. CL Ham/2M? I. mientor BY 1M, M 4 FM At: ornays United States Patent 3,397,835 BAG Sverker A. Henning, Bromma, Sweden, assignor to Arenco Aktiebolag, Vallingby, Sweden Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,684 Claims priority, application Sweden, Oct. 3, 1963,

10,797/63 8 Claims. (Cl. 229--66) The invention relates to a sealed bag which is intended to be completely or partially opened along a predetermined, closed tear line.

In bags, the filling end of which is sealed after filling has taken place, in order to facilitate opening, a tear strip has previously been provided or, for example, a corner perforated so that the corner can thus be torn off. Tear strips are relatively complicated to adapt and perforations cannot be used in fine grained material or fluid is to be packed in the bags.

The purpose of the invention is to effect a bag with a tear line which does not effect the airtight sealing of the bag and which makes possible safe and well defined tearing of, for example, a corner of the bag even if it is made of a material which is normally very dilficult to tear, such as polyethylene.

The novelty therefore consists in a score line in the form of a continuous weakening or perforation corresponding to the predetermined tear line being provided on a strip of material which is capable of being torn, the strip being firmly attached to the bag so that the score coincides with the intended tear line.

In bags with an even sealing edge brought about by connecting the upper edges of the opposite walls of the bag to each other by gumming, heat sealing or some other suitable method, the said tear line extends suitably across the sealing edge, the end points of the score comprising notches in the strip, which notches are intended to lie opposite each other on either side of the sealing edge when the strip has been attached to the bag.

Apart from carrying the score, the strip also forms a suitable stiffener round the opening of the opened bag, which is an advantage when the bag is used for liquid products and is manufactured of a material possessing slight stiffness, for example a polyethylene tubing.

The invention is described below with reference to various embodiments which are shown in the attached drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a corner of a fiat bag to which has been welded a strip covering the whole corner and is provided with a score line for tearing off the corner,

FIGURE 2 shows the strip in FIGURE 1 in extended position,

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 1, but with a narrow strip which covers only the area immediately around the score,

FIGURE 4 shows the strip in FIGURE 3 in extended position,

FIGURE 5 shows a bag intended to be opened by tearing along a semicircular line on each Wall of the bag, and

FIGURE 6 shows the strip in FIGURE 5 in extended position.

In FIGURE 1 is known the upper right-hand corner of a bag 1 which is made of, for example, polyethylene and which has been sealed by a transverse sealing weld.

Patented Aug. 20, 1968 The upper edge 2 of the bag is shown in the figure as sealed by a transverse weld 3. Before or after attaching the weld 3, a strip 4 of, for example, plastic coated paper, paper or plastic has been attached to the corner of the bag 1 by welding or gumming. This is illustrated in FIG- URE 1 by the weldor gum-points 5 and 6. As can be seen from FIGURE 2, the strip 4 is provided with a score 71:, 7b which extends from a notch 8 to a further notch '9. When the strip 4 has been attached to the bag 1 so that the edge 10 of the bag coincides with the symmetrical line 11 of the strip 4, the notch 8 lies directly opposite the notch 9 and both halves 7a and 7b of the score lie across each other and coincide with a desired score line which is closed and extends from the notch 9 along the score 7a, 7b to the notch 8 coinciding with notch 9. The score 7a, 7b consists of a scribed line in the strip 4, which has proved to be entirely sufficient to obtain the desired result. When the 'bag is to be opened, the notches coinciding with each other, form a first score and tearing can thereafter take place along the score 7a, 7b without risk that the bag would be torn along a line other than that determined by the score 7a, 7b. The notches 8 and 9 shown facilitate commencement of the tearing operation but are dispensable.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, another type of strip 12 is shown which is provided with a perforation 13. The strip is welded or gurmned to the bag 1 in the field 14, 15 and 16 and a notch 17 has been punched in the upper sealing edge so that the notch connects to the two end points lying against each other of the score 13.

A third embodiment is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. In this case the tear strips consists of a rectangular card 18 with a score 19 in the form of a scribed line. The card is folded about one edge of the bag 1 along the line of symmetry 20 and gummed to the opposite walls of the bag. On opening the bag 1, the circular portion of card 21 is torn away and a round opening with even edges is formed in the bag.

It is also evident that the bag shown can, if so desired, be attached in a conventional manner in an outer carton, in which case the new bag offers the further advantage that a stiff opening is obtained, this being particularly advantageous if the bag contains fluid, in that securely fixing the bag close to the opening can in many cases be avoided.

What I claim is:

1. Means for opening a sealed bag along a predetermined tear line on said bag comprising a strip of material capable of being torn, a score line forming a tear line on said strip and means securely connecting said strip within an area containing said score line to said bag so that said score line coincides with said predetermined tear line.

2. Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said predetermined tear line extends across a sealed edge of said bag.

3. Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein the end points on said score line comprise notches to facilitate commencement of tearing.

4 Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip of material is securely connected to said bag on two opposite sides of said bag with said score line upon said strip coinciding with said predetermined tear line.

5. Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 4 wherein notches are provided at the ends of said score line which coincide with one another on opposite sides of said bag.

6. Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip covers a corner of the bag and said score line extends at an angle across said corner from one edge of said bag to a connecting edge of said bag.

7. Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said score line consists of a continuous score.

8. Means for opening a sealed bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said score line consists of a row of perforations.

References Cited UNITED 10 JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

1. MEANS FOR OPERATING A SEALED BAG ALONG A PREDETERMINED TEAR LINE ON SAID BAG COMPRISING A STRIP OF MATERIAL CAPABLE OF BEING TORN, A SCORE LINE FORMING A TEAR LINE ON SAID STRIP AND MEANS SECURELY CONNECTING SAID STRIP WITHIN AN AREA CONTAINING SAID SCORE LINE TO SAID BAG SO THAT SAID SCORE LINE COINCIDES WITH SAID PREDETERMINED TEAR LINE. 